


Fanciful

by Musical_Fandom



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Maruki Takuto's Reality Ending, No Dialogue, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Psychological Horror, Short One Shot, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29063697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musical_Fandom/pseuds/Musical_Fandom
Summary: The world was running smoothly. Not a single person was left unsatisfied with their reality. Takuto Maruki took great pride in such a feat.
Relationships: implied Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, implied Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	Fanciful

The world was running smoothly. Not a single person was left unsatisfied with their reality. Takuto Maruki took great pride in such a feat. Initially, when his control over the world was less absolute, there were a few ripples in the otherwise serene pond that was his reality. Small flickers of discontent that Maruki had already suspected might be trouble.

Honestly, he hadn't been angry that the Phantom Thieves would oppose him. It would be more accurate to say that he was sad. They had gone through so much, each of them deserved a happy life. Especially a certain duo. The ones who had caused the disruption in the first place.

Kurusu and Akechi had suffered most out of any of them and yet they fought the hardest against happiness. Akechi fought out of a misplaced desire for freedom. He just didn't understand that this perfect world wouldn't constrict him. It would help him far more than being dead ever would. Kurusu on the other hand, _wanted_ suffering. He had never fully agreed with Maruki when he had said that suffering should be eliminated but Maruki couldn't fault him for that. He was simply misguided. Neither of them knew a better way, _his way_. He had intended to show it to them but they resisted.

It was, admittedly, a hassle when Kurusu dragged the others to his way of thinking. That hadn't been Maruki's intention when he sent him to observe the world but perhaps he had been too naive to think he could sway him so easily. Clearly he would take more convincing. Letting him take Maruki's deal of his own free will was important, he didn't want to force anything on Kurusu after how much he had helped in the past. This world was only possible thanks to _his_ contributions after all.

Maruki spent a lot of his time observing Kurusu and Akechi to see how he could convince them. Not in person of course, no they would never let their guard down if they spotted him, luckily Azathoth had granted him a heightened awareness. There were very few places he actually had to go in order to make sure everything ran as it should. Others might have called it spying or an invasion of privacy but Maruki didn't see it that way. He just saw it as an innocent way of gathering information to make their reality as happy as it could be.

At first their bond seemed as if it would be a problem. Akechi missed no opportunity to remind Kurusu of how fake their world was. It was a sad sight to see them so utterly misunderstand his intentions. Trapping people was never the goal, nor was it the result. The residents of Tokyo were just as free now that they had accepted his reality, possibly even more so now that they didn't have to worry about all their pain. Maybe if he had been able to reach out to them properly and show them first hand, they could have seen his perspective. He just needed some way to get through to them. It felt like a miracle when Maruki realized the answer to his problems. Kurusu's wish. He felt like a fool for not putting it together sooner. Akechi wasn't a hindrance to him at all, no, he was the answer to his problems.

Upon looking into it further, Maruki came to the conclusion that Akechi was most likely dead in the old reality. This tragic fact was something he wanted to keep close. Doing anything else could just hurt both of them, especially Kurusu. Still, Akechi was different from the countless other people he had brought back. He wasn't a cognition, he was real. Maybe that was why Maruki hadn't noticed at first. Whatever the reason, it was strange but not a hindrance anymore.

Pushing Kurusu and Akechi closer was simple, especially considering they already had a special bond. When he controlled the world, fostering budding feelings was not an impressive feat. All it took were some well placed moments where they were separated from the group. Bad weather to keep them together just a bit longer, a subtle suggestion to invite Kurusu to a nice spot, the occasional dream of past times with Akechi. All of it was child's play for someone of his power.

Seeing the fruits of his efforts was certainly a reward on its own. He saw how they became closer to each other. Kurusu began to cling to Akechi as if he was his lifeline. Akechi tried to repress his feelings but Maruki made sure to bring them to the forefront of his mind often enough that he eventually resigned himself to them. Doubts began to creep into Kurusu's mind. Desires joined them. Most focused around Akechi but some of them were just about keeping things as they were before. Akechi however, never faltered. He stubbornly held on to the past reality. The strangest thing was that he knew he was dead. At least, he heavily suspected it. Akechi was no idiot, he had figured the situation out around the time Maruki had decided to pay special attention to them. That disregard for his own life needed to be dealt with.

Maruki watched with great interest as the Phantom Thieves made their way through his heart. Their hesitation was clear. Most of them understood his goals, they even wanted to return to the warm embrace of his reality. Such thoughts were hidden below the surface but Maruki could still find them easily. Sometimes he resurfaced them as a reminder. He would be ready to welcome them back once they understood.

Making their way through Maruki's palace was dangerous. Maruki didn't want the Phantom Thieves do die but he could use it to his advantage. Directly controlling his palace had perks. He could easily direct the shadows to act how he pleased. At his command, they paid special attention to Akechi. There were a lot of close calls, never _too_ close of course, but they were enough to remind Akechi the fragility of his life. A fear of death was slowly fostered within him. Much to Maruki's frustration, he resolve remained strong. Kurusu's, however, was being chipped away at with each near death.

Once the route to his treasure was secured, the Phantom Thieves had a few days before Maruki decided he would make his appearance. They left the calling card with Kurusu, accurately assuming that Maruki would eventually seek him out. In that gap of time, Maruki made his last push for Akechi and Kurusu. Their special relationship made things fairly simple.

On the second, Maruki made his final appeal to Kurusu. It was his final chance to accept his reality willingly. Maruki never wanted to fight the Phantom Thieves. All of them had been through so much, if he could avoid hurting them further then he would do so in a heartbeat.

Sitting in a booth in LeBlanc and explaining his position once again was surprisingly nerve wracking. Still, the more he talked, the more he could feel Kurusu's doubts. He was getting so close, he just needed _something_ to secure it. That was when he noticed Akechi's presence just outside. He had been so focused on Kurusu he hadn't even realized they had a guest with them. Maruki waited before he called him in. Kurusu had looked mortified when Akechi strolled through the door. Immediately, Maruki could sense the conflict forming in his mind. He realized then that such a heavy decision was painful for Kurusu. His misguided search for reality clashed with his want to be happy in a way that Maruki could understand. Agonizing over this decision would only cause Kurusu more undue pain until he destroyed himself. Maruki knew that he had to tell Kurusu. He needed to hurt him momentarily to ease his pain in the long run.

When he revealed the truth behind Akechi's existence, he knew he had convinced Kurusu. With Kurusu seeing the light, Akechi and the rest of the Phantom Thieves would eventually follow. The rest of them already wanted to come back (something that Maruki had kept at the forefront of their minds more and more leading up to this) so Akechi was really the only one who needed to be swayed. Maruki left that job to Kurusu. His body left the cafe but his awareness did not.

An argument ensued. It ended with Kurusu accepting Maruki's reality. Maruki was overjoyed when he confirmed it to Akechi. Akechi was less than pleased. He yelled words he didn't mean before he stormed out. Such a strong outburst did little to sway Kurusu's resolve.

Maruki kept a close eye on Akechi once he left. He was on his way to Odaiba in a misguided attempt to relieve his anger. It was a very unfortunate situation. Maruki wished he could have had _everyone_ join his reality without having their hand forced but it seemed that no matter what happened, Akechi would need more attention. Nothing else seemed to be working.

Maruki hadn't _wanted_ to change Akechi's cognition but he knew he had to. Otherwise, he would just get in the way of his own happiness. Besides, he didn't want to hurt him when Akechi inevitably tried to kill him. Still, that didn't mean that it was any less of a harrowing ordeal. When Akechi realized what was happening, Maruki could feel the anger that was quickly overwhelmed by abject terror. It was difficult to watch but all the negative feelings eventually melted into a happy acceptance. The temporary pain had been worth it to see Akechi realize this was all for the best.

The third came and Maruki watched. He sent his awareness to the cafe where the former Phantom Thieves had gathered. All of them were so happy with their new lives. Even Kurusu and Akechi were enjoying themselves but Maruki could sense something off with Kurusu. Akechi was also having problematic thoughts but that could be dealt with after Kurusu. Part of him was still refusing reality. He was a rebellious soul by nature and that hadn't changed when he accepted the deal. This part of him was causing Kurusu pain. Maruki took the obvious solution. 

Removing his rebellious spirit was painless. Kurusu hadn't even been aware it was happening. All he knew was that he wasn't weighed down by guilt or fear anymore. He could be happy without anything holding him back. 

The world was running smoothly and Maruki was ecstatic. He watched the happy masses go about their days and paid special attention to a certain couple. Sometimes, one of them would fall back into their old ways and reject his reality once again. Fixing it was always a simple matter and he was more than happy to do it as often as they needed it. Both Kurusu and Akechi had been through so much, they both deserved happy lives. All Maruki needed to do was remove whatever was causing the painful rebellion and they were back to their happy selves. It wasn't long before there was nothing left of them to start a rebellion, just the joy that permeated every part of Maruki's world. Such a sight was wonderful to see.

Maruki watched his world with pride. Everything ran as it should in perfect unity. It was everything he had worked for, everything he could have asked for. Seeing the people of the world go about their lives freed from the pain of the past made his efforts worthwhile.


End file.
